No Place Like Home
by FullmetalNyuu
Summary: When she wakes up, the sun makes her see the harsh reality of her life, and her fantasy is over for the day. A loner by nature and a writer by consequence, Weiss Schnee has only recieved positivity from one other, a friend newly made by chance. As her life unfolds, so do her feelings.
1. Chapter 1

**No Place Like Home – Chapter One – A Rose By Any Other Name…**

It was morning…but it was still dark. It would never be as bright as it was there, even on the sunniest of days. She knew it…she felt it in her heart. She knew that the night was the brightest time…the sun just hurt her because it MADE her see. As usual, she woke up. Humans had to wake up…but she had the next night to look forward to. Pulling on a simple long-sleeve grey shirt and a pair of cargo shorts, she sighed and rubbed her arm. With the lights off in her room, the sunlight filtering in from the cracked blinds made it look almost orange. She liked that color. But…she liked red better. It was her…her friend's favorite color. Stretching, she looked to the side and curled her body forward suddenly, seeing the time was nearing seven thirty. But this time, there wasn't a slam. Not a shout. It almost worried her that there was such silence now…almost. She had about twenty minutes before she had to catch the bus, so she sat down at the desk by her door and flipped open her laptop, expertly typing in her password. Breathing quickly, she slipped on a pair of new headphones she received as a gift not too long ago. One good thing about the holidays.

Scrolling through her music, she looked for something that would set the mood of this quick scene. Metal? No, it won't be violent. Rock? Nah, she didn't feel like anything heroic…Maybe Pop? Well…sure, she could do sentimental. Grabbing a mechanical pencil off the desk in front of her, she brushed some of her hair out of her face. Attempting to write something in the notebook on her desk, she sighed and put her pencil in her pocket. After flicking her hair back again, she sat her hand on the desk and searched for a couple ponytail holders, pulling her hair back and up into a ponytail on the side of her head. _Better._ She decided, looking at the clock again and realizing that a couple minutes had passed…and still, no commotion from the rest of the house. Pursing her lips, she slowly opened the door to her room, peeking out into the hallway. Nobody there, all the other doors closed. Letting out another light sigh, she slipped out of her room and shot into the bathroom, closing the door quietly behind her and locking it. She rested her hands on the counter, her head hanging. Closing her eyes for a second or two, she opened them again, looking up at her reflection. Shoulder blade-length light blonde hair, now pulled into a side ponytail. Drawn face, not looking starved or insufficient in any immediately noticeable way, just…tired. Tired as evidenced by her slightly hunched style of movement when no one was around, and the purple streaks under her eyes. Her blue eyes. She felt like those were the only things about her that anyone could like…she didn't like a lot about herself, but she did have those bright, crystalline eyes despite everything else. Were they hereditary? She didn't know. She didn't know half of her family history.

Putting a hand on her face, she pulled her fingers down between her eyes and around her nose, resting them on her lips. If she personally owned any makeup that wasn't meant for the stage, she probably would have been covered with it. Shaking her head, she opened the door and shuffled out of the bathroom, wondering if she had the time to make toast or anything. Stretching and glancing at the watch on her wrist, her eyes widened and she ran to the front room of the house. She grabbed her backpack and slung it over her shoulder, taking one last look at the doorway leading to the dining room, seeing a couple tall, empty bottles strewn over the table, accompanied by two five dollar bills. Putting her hand on the front door's knob, she considered, for a split-second, the idea of not going to school, but instead throwing away everything that tied her to the place and packing her pack with the things she'd need to survive for a week or more on her own until she could find…

Before she got any farther in her fantasy, she was already on the bus and in the first seat with a sixth grader poking the back of her head with a pen. Narrowing her eyes more and more with each touch, her arms shook…but she couldn't do anything. She wondered what kind of punishment she would get for hitting a kid. She WAS a junior in high-school. Letting out a growl from deep in her throat, she turned around and grabbed his arm tightly, tight enough to hurt him, and he dropped the pen. "You think it's funny? Do you?" She asked, tilting her head a different way with each question. "Let me SHOW you HOW FUNNY IT IS!" She screamed at the top of her lungs, grabbing the pen and stabbing it through his eye. She could feel it pierce all the way to his brain…she twisted the pen and yanked it out as he fell down, blood gushing from the…

Blinking twice, she shook her head and looked behind her, seeing all of the little kids snickering as they got off at their stop, the middle school. The little boy that was poking her acted macho as he left. Figures…boys of all ages are idiots. Resting her chin on her fist, she looked out the window until the bus stopped outside the high school. Closing her eyes, she pulled a strap of her bag over her arm, supporting it with the other one as she got off the bus. Standing still as it drove away, she took a breath and walked forward with her head down, completely alone outside. She was the only high school student that rode that bus to or from school, and since she was the last one off, she had a bit of time to talk to the driver. He was interesting…not ancient, but old enough to know how to be observant. He had a pair of glasses, and his favorite color was green. She liked talking to him, because he always had a bit of wisdom to give her. He was the only one besides her friend that didn't treat her like nothing…or below that.

Opening up the door to the school, she walked to the right side of the main hall, away from all the traffic. She also kept her eyes tight on her shoes, so as not to draw any unwanted attention to herself. She picked a spot on the wall between the two side hallways of the school, sitting down on the tiled floor and putting her back on the smooth wall. Resting her head back, she rummaged through a pocket on her backpack, her hand closing around an mp3 player with a pair of earbuds wrapped around it. Pulling it out and unwrapping the cord, she put the buds in and cycled through her music, looking for something that would block out her thoughts, not cause them to come. Shuffle it is.

Halestorm.

She liked Halestorm.

"…"

_Huh? Could've sworn I…heard something._

She thought, keeping her eyes closed. Well, they were closed until she felt a hand on her shoulder. Then, they flew open and she went rigid, her eyes darting back and forth in search of exit points. Shifting her head slowly to the side, she was prepared to do something drastic when she saw that it was just her friend trying to get her attention. Slumping, she pulled the earbuds out and waited, looking at the floor.

"Oh, THERE you are, Weiss! I was starting to think that you crapped out on me." Her friend said, tapping her on the head lightly. "I figured you were going to come to the cafeteria. I guess…I was wrong, huh? Well, that's okay. I'm just fine sitting here too."

"Ruby, you…don't have to do that." Weiss retorted. She guessed that the tone of her voice sent the OPPOSITE message, though, because Ruby was right beside her in a fraction of a second. Weiss always wondered where she got her energy from.

Leaning over Weiss to peek at her mp3 player, Ruby tilted her head to look her in the face. "Of course I do. You're my friend…it's my job to be here for you, whether you need it or not." She stated with a wide smile, which Weiss weakly returned.

_Yeah, that's right…_She thought, holding down the mp3's power button and wrapping the earbuds back around it. _It is, isn't it?_

"Well, classes start in a few minutes. I'll catch you later, Weiss." Ruby said, helping her up and giving her a quick hug and a wave, adjusting her backpack straps and zipping up her hoodie. Leaning against the wall, Weiss put her head against it and closed her eyes. Crossing her arms, she pulled them close, looking down at her chest, the dull grey of her shirt boring into her eyes. She liked what Ruby was wearing today…she didn't really have anything like that. Nothing special. Closing her eyes a little tighter, she tilted her head down.

Ruby was two years under her in age, 15 and a freshman. She hadn't known Weiss for that long, but it was long enough. They met during the summer of last year, and it was totally by chance. It was actually at a convenience store when it happened, and it was nothing big. Weiss was just trying to buy a few things and she was short a few cents…Ruby heard the cashier, and before Weiss could put anything back she stepped up and paid the rest for her. That was like a good morning wake-up call to Weiss…it was the last thing she expected to get any kind of help from anybody. In fact, she didn't even consider it. When Ruby did that for her, she wanted to know more about that girl…she wanted to be around her. Maybe she could learn a couple things. So, she hung around in the store until Ruby was done inside, expecting her to get into one of the cars parked outside and ride off. It was a SECOND surprise when the girl started to walk past the cars and towards Weiss' road. Hesitating for a moment and making a short noise in the back of her throat, she shook her head and walked after her a ways.

"You know, if you're going to follow someone you could at least let her know first." Ruby said plainly, not stopping or turning around. That stopped Weiss dead in her tracks. Stumbling over her words, she looked to the side and then tilted her head and looked at Ruby's back.

"Why did you help me back there? I could've handled it just fine." She said as a verbal counter-attack, albeit a weak one. At least it made the girl stop and turn around…although her face wasn't much help in telling what she was thinking. "I had some extra money, and you needed it more than me. That's that." She retorted calmly with a smile. "Besides, I like helping people out. It's what makes me happy."

Happy.

_Happy?_

"Well…what's your name?"

"Ruby."

Weiss looked down for a moment. "We're…going the same way." She forced out through clenched teeth. She didn't need help. She didn't WANT help. And she sure as hell didn't want to make a perfect stranger, of all people, happy. Then, Ruby walked over to her, her short black hair bobbing along. Flicking her bangs out of her eyes, she took Weiss by the shoulders and looked her in the eye. "Everyone needs help from time to time." She said with a smile. Stopping in her tracks yet again, Weiss blinked a couple times and held her mouth open, looking down slowly. Standing still with her, Ruby let go of her shoulders and crossed her arms. "So, we're going the same way, right?" Ruby asked, Weiss nodding in response. Starting to get her feet moving again, Weiss slowly made her way up the right side of the street, with Ruby matching her pace. "You never told me YOUR name." She said, putting her hands behind her head.

"Well…it's…Weiss…" Weiss answered quietly. Nodding, Ruby smiled and turned down a street Weiss wasn't familiar with, but she went ahead and followed along. After a few more minutes of silent walking, Ruby stopped and let out a breath. "Well, this is it. Nice to meet you, Weiss." She said, holding out her hand for a shake. When Weiss just looked at it, slightly confused, she drew it back and laughed lightly, shrugging. "Ah…are you new in this area? I haven't seen you in school or anything." Ruby asked, putting her hands on her hips.

"Ah, no…" Weiss said, shaking her head, "I've actually been here all my life." She finished, looking at the door to what she assumed was Ruby's house. "Oh, that's weird. You must be homeschooled then…what are you like…fourteen?" Ruby asked with a tilt of her head. Pursing her lips and getting slightly red, Weiss clenched her fists and shifted her eyes to Ruby's in an instant. "No, I'm not FOURTEEN! I am SIXTEEN, thank you very much. I'm going to be a junior next year too." Weiss barked at her, crossing her arms and huffing. Putting her hands up, Ruby took a step back and awkwardly smiled. "H-hey, I didn't mean anything by it, Weiss!" She pleaded, shaking her head.

Pursing her lips and looking away, Weiss 'Hmphed'. "Fine. You're off the hook THIS time." Breathing out in mock relief, Ruby laughed and waved. "Well, for the record…I'M fourteen." She said with a wink. "See you around." She continued as she opened the door to her house and slipped inside. Sighing and letting her arms drop, Weiss nodded slowly. "Yeah…see you around."

Settling in her seat, Weiss unzipped her backpack and pulled out an off blue notebook, laying it on the desk in front of her. Glancing from side to side, she observed her surroundings. Students were slowly filing in as the warning bell rang, the teacher standing at the head of the class and chatting with the teacher from across the hall. She couldn't care less what they were talking about. Putting her head on the desk, she rested before slowly sitting up after a few seconds, opening the notebook and flipping five pages till the back. Clicking her mechanical pencil, she breathed out before putting the point to the paper.

_Another combat exercise. Wonderful. Of course I would go out there with the team, no doubt being paired with Ruby. I wish she would slow down every once in a while. Making my way to the equipment lockers, I checked all of my supplies, and they were right where I left them. Nothing changed. Letting out a breath, I wrapped my fingers around the hilt of my rapier, Myrtenaster. I could practically feel the energy surge through my hand and up my arm as the skin of my palm made contact with the metal. I closed my eyes for a moment, just to get my bearings. Tilting my head and glancing to the left, I spied Blake getting ready herself. I was beginning to wonder where Ruby had gotten off to all of a sudden. It wouldn't be any good if she got started somewhere else…_

_But, pushing THAT out of my mind, I straightened up and carefully pulled Myrtenaster from its aluminum prison, swishing it in front of the locker in which it was being held. Letting a light smirk pull up the edge of my mouth, I also grabbed the small grey pack which hung on a hook inside, attaching it above the edge of my combat skirt. Satisfied, I slid the blade between the belt and my side, surely securing it. __Wh As I__…_

"Schnee…"

"SCHNEE!"

Jumping and throwing her pencil to the ground in surprise, Weiss closed her eyes tightly. "BIPLANAR INTERCEPT!" She yelled, hoping that it was the right answer. It…WAS what they were studying right now, right?...Judging by the incessant laughter and fiery glare the teacher was giving the ones doing it, she assumed that it was…not the right answer. "The teacher's calling roll, dumbass!" Some random guy yelled at her, causing her to flip around the other way, intending to use one of her brilliant comebacks but instead coming up short as she froze up. Her jaw shaking uncontrollably, she opened her mouth to quietly say "Here", but instead it came out as a stuttering mess. Sinking down and laying her face on the table, she pulled her arms up to cover her head. Luckily, she sat in the middle of the back row so she didn't get noticed much by the teacher. The trade was instead being bothered non-stop by anyone else who felt like it.

Clearing his throat, the teacher got up to the front to address the class to begin giving a…history lesson. That made Weiss sink even deeper into her seat. She felt almost like she was melting a hole through the floor…through the ground, and into the pits of fire that were miles below the dirt…

She couldn't hope to pay attention now, she just spent the period trying to be as inconspicuous as she could, pressing down against the desk. She heard whispers, snickers. She knew they were talking about her…if there was nothing else to talk about, they would talk about her. The passed around rumors, ninety percent of them not even true and the remaining ten percent twisted out of context. Regardless of their truth, however…they all just sent her deeper into a hole. The one thing she didn't understand was what she had done to them…she couldn't come up with any comebacks, and even if she did she never got one out of her mouth, so she couldn't have made any of them mad that way. She'd never gotten into a fight with anyone before. To tell the absolute truth she was…afraid of it. Very afraid. All she had ever been was a girl who wanted to keep to herself and stay under the radar…it seemed like in doing that, she just got herself embroiled even deeper into the mess.

She wondered what they were talking about today. Her clothes? Her hair? Her mistakes? It could have been anything. Anything at all. Keeping her cheek flat against her notebook, she clenched her fists and closed her eyes tightly. Feeling a tap on the top of her head, she snapped her eyes up, glaring at the girl sitting in front of her. Rolling her eyes and laughing slightly, the girl reached out to hand the paper to her, slightly surprised when Weiss snatched it from her hands. Putting her head back down immediately, Weiss wasn't surprised at all when she heard the girl start snickering. She'd about had it with that prep…

Slowly, she clenched and unclenched her fists, sitting up in her seat and grabbing the other girl's ponytail in both hands, pulling back as hard as she could and smiling as the nape of the girl's neck made a sickening crack as it connected to the edge of the desk. "SHUT UP, SHUT UP, SHUT UP!" Weiss screamed as she continued to push and pull the girl's head until her neck was nothing but a casing for her shattered vertebrae and fleshy tubes. Standing up slowly, Weiss watched as blood began to run from her nose…then her ears…

Sitting up with a start as the bell signaling the end of class sounded, Weiss sighed as she watched all of the students pick up their things and evacuate the room. Of course, that idiot in front of her kept on stealing glances even as she was walking out the door, giggling like she was 10 years younger. Steaming, Weiss shoved the notebook back into her bag and looked at the paper, all of the blanks and passages foreign to her eyes. Deciding to carry her notebook to make a bit of room, she slipped the paper in and put her notebook under her arm, zipping up her pack. Slinging it over her shoulder with a sigh, she shuffled towards the door, glancing at the teacher who had a slightly sympathetic look on his face. She didn't need sympathy. She would rather have apathy. Sulking out the door, she almost didn't notice the girl leaning on the doorframe. Walking down the hall and hoping to be simply left alone, she felt a touch, but this time…it wasn't threatening. She'd gotten used to how the palm of Ruby's hand felt. She knew how it closed, how warm it was…

Turning around, she met eyes with a smiling Ruby and couldn't help but stop scowling. She might not have smiled, but that girl's mood was contagious. She didn't say anything, and neither did Ruby, but they didn't really need to. They had learned how to handle each other's company over the year they'd known each other. They understood that sometimes words would just get in the way. Putting her hands in her coat pockets, Ruby looked ahead and walked along with a thoughtful face. Standing up a bit straighter, Weiss breathed out and glanced at her notebook, looking back up at Ruby. It was…a LITTLE unsettling that she was shorter than a girl two years younger than her. It made sense though…Weiss suspected that Ruby was a much taller person than she was. She was just fine having a taller person beside her. She hoped that some of that tallness would rub off on her someday.

It was that moment when she realized that they had been walking aimlessly. They were both far from their next class, and the warning bell was getting ready to ring. The hall was all but deserted. Looking down at Weiss, Ruby raised an eyebrow and started to jog the right way. Huffing, Weiss held her hands in front of her for an instant before following at her own pace. The bell rang and they split paths, Ruby going up the hall and Weiss taking a side hall to get to their classes. Arriving safely, Weiss leaned on the wall briefly before stepping inside and trying to regulate her breathing, taking her seat at the far edge of the class. Letting out a sigh of relief, she looked at the door, taking a breath and shifting her eyes back to her desk after a second or two.

Rooting through her backpack, she pulled out the paper from last class. Looking it over, she pursed her lips, closing her eyes and putting it back. _I don't have the first clue about this…I even LIKE history and I don't know._ She lamented, looking out the window. A smile slowly growing across her face, she closed her eyes again and put her head on her desk. _At least today is Friday…it's Friday. _She thought, making sure to pay attention to the roll call.

Slogging through three more classes, she was relieved when the bell for lunch rang, allowing her to get a bit of time to herself. She decided to skip eating today and go to the school library for as long as the lunch period lasted. Getting up out of her seat and pushing into the herd of students outside, she eventually made her way to the center hall, and it was only a few steps to the library doors. Pulling one of them open, she slipped inside and breathed out, walking over to the front desk. It wasn't at all an impressive room, only about the size of three and a half classrooms sandwiched together, but it was plenty room for books. Weiss had tried asking the librarian about ordering more, but she could never get the words to come out right. She hated asking things of people…it was just a natural phobia she had, or so she had eventually accepted. Leaning on the desk, she breathed out before looking to her left and noticing another student sitting in the librarian's chair. She assumed it was the PA, as this was also the lunch period for some of the staff and teachers. Tilting her head, Weiss examined the cover of the girl's book as discreetly as possible, but…failing. Flicking her eyes up, the girl slowly spun around in the chair.

Making a quiet noise and straightening up, Weiss ended up faced with the girl's back, sighing. She was about to turn and go to the other side of the library when the girl tilted her head to the side and rested the book on her lap. "Um…do you need something…?" She asked, her long black hair falling back as she turned. Putting up her hands, Weiss shook her head and turned around quickly, flexing her fingers. _Blake is the PA? Well…I guess I'm not surprised. But…where she is, someone else isn't far…_She thought before hearing a sort of high-pitched whine from under the desk.

"Blaaaaaake, I'm THIIIIRSSTYYYYYY." The voice cried. Putting her finger and thumb on either side of the bridge of her nose, Blake closed her eyes and turned around, shaking her head. "I'm not stopping you from getting a drink…" She almost spat at the person hidden under there. Crawling out, she stood up and stretched. "But…I don't want to walk all the way to the cafeteria…"

Shooting a look at her, Blake picked up her book. "I can't help you, Yang." She sighed, flipping the page. Puffing up her cheeks and crossing her arms, Yang mumbled and walked out of the door. Watching her go for a second or two, Weiss narrowed her eyes and turned back to Blake, who was already looking at her. "Sorry about that…she INSISTS on following me everywhere when she's out of a class…" Blake confirmed with a deep breath. "Was there something you wanted…or…?" She began before Weiss shook her head and held up a hand. "No, I'll…just go sit over there…" She said quickly, pointing to the back of the library. Shrugging, Blake looked back down at the book and leaned in her chair, pulling up her legs and crossing her ankles on the desk.

Dragging herself over to the comfortable chairs in the back of the library, Weiss dropped her backpack and sighed, settling into one before setting the notebook on her lap. Retrieving her pencil from her pocket, Weiss clicked it twice and felt the tip subconsciously, opening the notebook and flipping to a blank page in the back. Putting her pencil to the paper, she glanced to her sides, looking back down to concentrate, writing the first letter.

_No matter how many Beowolves I kill, I KNOW I get the same marks! It's heresy, I tell you. I don't know what they're trying to do, but it isn't working. In any event, the exercise ran smoothly, as they generally do, and I could finally get a bit of rest, away from everything. Luckily, the rest of team RWBY was out of the room, probably meeting with JNPR across the hall about the next big stratagem. Personally, I preferred to let my own brain do the working. Pulling off my uniform, I settled onto my bed without bothering to change into my gown. It didn't really matter much now, as I was too tired to do much of anything and I highly doubted anyone unwanted would just waltz in. I actually felt like I was about to drift off into a light sleep when the door opened…not to my prior knowledge…and a figure slipped in. Still half-unconscious at this point, you can expect that the thing that I LEAST expected was to feel a hand on my back. Now, I had a lot of reactions in store for all sorts of different situations, but this…was something else. That hand was warm. I would know that hand anywhere…_

_So when I realized who exactly it was, I was sure my face began to turn a color comparable to her namesake. It made me very glad that I was curled on my side so she couldn't see it. I didn't know what she intended to do, but I was…willing…to find out. Hearing the door close, the click unmistakable from anything else, my mind began to run through the possibilities, until I heard something that sounded like a ribbon coming undone. When the dull and almost silent thump of fabric on carpet met my ears, I…couldn't know what was happening until I felt her torso press against my back. Her knees went into the crook of mine, and her arms went around my sides. _

_My mind going into overdrive, I didn't know what to do or how to react, all I could do was sit there, helpless, as she…laid with me. I could feel her breath on my neck, the rise and fall of her chest systematically pressing and receding from my back. I got a strange feeling deep in my gut that was almost…a pain. But it was something I wanted to keep feeling. In fact, it almost brought a tear to my eye the way it felt. _

"Whatcha' writin'?" A peppy and familiar voice whispered in Weiss' ear. Her face instantly turning dark red, she could feel her teeth clacking inside her mouth as she slammed the notebook shut, her pencil falling to the ground. "N-N-N-Nahha…n-no-othing…at all…" Weiss feverishly answered, feeling a tug on her notebook. "Come on, let me see.~" The girl whispered playfully, knowing she could easily get the notebook away from her friend if she wanted to in her current state. "R…R-Ruby…it's really j-just same ol' you know!" Weiss said with a weak laugh, trying desperately to ward off Ruby's advances.

"Uh-huh, so is this same-ol' the same same-ol' that involves…rOmAnTiC situationssss?~" Ruby teased, letting go of the book. "A…aha..a…I don't know…" Weiss whispered with dwindling volume, looking down more and more with every noise. "Fine, fine, I'll leave you alone. I promise you someday you'll let me read those things, Weiss. I REALLY like the way you do it!" Ruby praised, crossing her arms and leaning on the chair. Releasing a deep, pent-up breath, Weiss looked at Ruby's back for a good minute, on the edge of asking something that would have a fifty-fifty chance of either making or breaking both of them, she assumed. Of course, however…no words would find their way out of her mouth. Looking at the floor, Weiss slowly closed her eyes for a second and looked back up, tugging on Ruby's jacket sleeve.

"Yeah?" She asked, tilting her head. "It's Friday…" Weiss said quietly, keeping her eyes fixed on a ceiling light across the library. "So it is…" Ruby agreed, putting one hand on the arm of the chair and the other on the wall beside her. "Well…do you think I could visit today?" Weiss asked, her tone matching her previous one. Nodding, Ruby smiled. "Of course, Weiss. I thought I convinced you that you didn't even need to ask me that. My house is yours." She answered, straightening up. Looking at the floor and pursing her lips, Weiss swallowed and let out a shaky breath. _My house is yours. _

_I shouldn't be so worked up about this…it's such a good thing…am I feeling this way because I AM happy? Why do happy and sad have to be so close to each other…I hate emotions…_

_I could feel my body temperature rising from being this close to her. I could feel the way her stomach moved every time she took a breath or subconsciously flexed her muscles against my back. The way she was pressing against me, I didn't doubt that her bra would leave an imprint in my back. It didn't matter…just the fact that she'd randomly decided to do this…it left me.._

Tearing the page out of her notebook and balling it up, Weiss hurled it at the wall and it bounced off, hitting the wall and then the trash can but not quite making it in. Holding her legs up to her chest, Weiss sat on her bed and put her head on her legs, breathing out shakily. _I've got to get it together before I go over there…what would she think if…I…I don't know…why do I have to think such weird THINGS?! What would she have said to me if she DID read it? There are so many others in my two separate notebooks that it's past the point of being a joke…is this how I have fun? Mentally monopolizing my only friend…in a world where she has no say in anything, no less. What kind of sick…girl am I…_Putting a hand over her face, Weiss shuddered a few times before dragging it down and feeling her neck. Within a second she was at her door, bag in hand. She was intending to spend at least one night there, and it didn't matter how it went. At least she would be there in the first place. Walking out of her door and into the hall, Weiss shuffled quietly down and out into the dining room which was directly adjacent to the kitchen and living room where the front door was. The table was slightly different than it was this morning, but not much. Now there was a comb laying there in place of one of the five dollar bills. Sighing, she stepped out of the front door and into the evening, speed walking to cross the street. Taking in a deep breath, she made her way down the road ahead.


	2. Chapter 2

**No Place Like Home-Chapter 2-Sweet Dreams**

Weiss looked up at the sky as she strode along, her thumbs hooked under the straps of her bag. A wire was clearly snaking out of her pocket, splitting into two and connecting to the earbuds she had balanced in her ears, the wire itself bobbing along with her steps. Her eyes focusing on one cloud in particular, she noted that it looked like a thick dish, grayish yellow in color. The day was coming to an end, and Weiss wondered why she hadn't left earlier. She assumed that it was difficult for Ruby to understand why it was so hard for her to do anything…it was probably difficult for anyone to understand. Even she fully didn't. Her fear of interaction seemed illogical even to her, but that didn't stop it from existing. Sighing, she pulled out her mp3 player and switched the playlist to Foo Fighters, putting it back and turning onto Ruby's street. She stood still for a few seconds before hesitantly going ahead. At least she made it here, that was something.

The Pretender came to her ears in time with her footsteps, and she chuckled lightly at the coincidence. A smile on her face now, she guessed that her luck was going to turn around. Bobbing her head, she looked at all the houses on the left, remembering Ruby's to be the one on the corner. Nodding to herself, Weiss hopped over the curb and walked to the door, rearing to knock on it and stopping for a moment. Hesitation at this point was…pointless. At that thought, she rang the doorbell and leaned on the wall. The chorus of the song was actually starting to tear at her. Her teeth clacking lightly, she breathed out but almost fell over when the door opened and a tall man with a tan leather jacket and blue jeans, accompanied by stubble on his face and steel in his eye faced her. He opened his mouth to say something, and he surely did, but Weiss couldn't hear it. She…suddenly realized the problem. Shakily pulling out the earbuds, her lips quivered as she smiled awkwardly.

Tilting his head, the man at the door furrowed his eyebrows and took a breath, Weiss taking a step back. He could see fear clearly in her eyes, but he didn't get why. Holding up a hand, he left the door open and went into the house. Her eyebrows twitching in time with the corner of her mouth, Weiss knew she recognized the place, but nothing else caught her immediate attention. Maybe she got the wrong house. That conclusion became more and more solid as she stepped out of the doorway and began to turn around. "Hey, Weiss. Long-time no-see, huh?" A familiar voice joked.

Freezing in her tracks, Weiss turned back as if on a hinge and pushed her shoulders forward. "Well…I made it." She said, straightening up slightly. Laughing, Ruby walked down and took her arm. "Weiss, this is my dad." She explained, nodding to him. He nodded back and rubbed his head, looking between the two girls and breathing out lightly, turning to go deeper into the house. Following him, Ruby dragged Weiss along by her arm for no apparent reason, closing the front door behind them and bringing Weiss down a small entry hall and into the living room. There was a couch immediately in front of them, facing what Weiss assumed was an average sized flatscreen mounted on the wall. Instantly, she noticed that the TV was in use by the girl sitting cross-legged on the couch, her yellow hair blindingly obvious against the light tan of the wall.

"Wait, wait…" Weiss began, pointing ahead of her. "Yang…Long…is your sister?" She asked enthusiastically, tilting her head. Rubbing her head and smiling, Ruby laughed lightly. "Well…it's a long story. She's my half-sister." She clarified, Weiss bobbing her head in response. Turning her head back at the mention of her name, Yang caught Weiss in her peripheral vision and smirked, closing her eyes. "Weiss Schnee? That's…weird." She muttered before going back to focusing on the program she was watching. Rolling her eyes, Ruby took Weiss right, after she took off her shoes, into a T hallway and turned left. "Welp, that's my room through the door." Weiss nodded and leaned forward, eyeing a sign on the door that read-'Rose Garden' in some tacky font. Chuckling, she stabbed her thumb at the door and nodded. "Clever."

Rolling her eyes again and putting her hands on her hips, Ruby took a breath in and let it out slowly. "You can blame my 'five years ago' self for that. I've just never taken it down." She explained with a shrug. "Aaaaanyway, bathroom's right there, and the kitchen and stuff is right back past the couch and to the left behind the wall." Ruby continued after a short pause, pointing one way and then the other.

"Ah, thanks. I'll be right out…" Weiss said as she slipped into the bathroom. Giving her a nod, Ruby waltzed over to her sister and leaned on the couch, questioning her about the show. Inside the bathroom, Weiss leaned on the sink and looked at her reflection. She looked like she could hardly keep her eyes open, much less her feet on the ground and her hands on the porcelain fixture. She'd never been here before…it was overwhelmingly odd. Slowly dragging a hand down her face, she took a deep breath. She wondered if there was anything she could do to make herself look less…rough. Or make herself less rough all-in-all.

Focusing back on her reflection, a sick grin made its way across her face. _Yang Xiao Long is related to Ruby Rose. Who would have guessed? Her dad must have been an awfully out-of-place man._ She thought to herself, breathing out and feeling her smile subside. Flicking the flusher on the toilet, she washed her hands and left the bathroom, peering out of the hallway. Ruby and Yang alike seemed transfixed on the TV, not noticing her walk out. Tilting her head and rubbing her hands on her shirt to dry them off, Weiss turned back and looked at Ruby's door. It only took her a second to make up her mind, and she turned the knob a bit slower than she would any other time, pushing it open with a measure of caution she usually didn't have while opening doors for an unapparent reason.

Inside it smelled like …roses. That wasn't too surprising, though, as one of the first things she saw upon opening the door was a vase with roses in it sitting on a desk right inside. The whole room had a theme which involved the spectrums of red and black color, represented in her furniture. The dresser in her closet was faded dark grey, two sets of shelves beside the door and her desk sharing the same color. Her bed was shoved against the window wall, the bedspread peppered with a red/black checkerboard pattern and the desktop PC resting on the desk baring several decals. the most noticeable of which being a rose stem wrapping around the outside of the screen, roses in the four corners._ Well…admittedly, she has a cute room. As would be expected…_Weiss thought before walking to the bed, putting her hand on it. "So…you like it, huh?"

Jumping and almost falling over, Weiss rushed over to Ruby and grabbed her shoulders, a desperate look on her face. "You have GOT to stop sneaking up on me like that…" She moaned as she slid down to her knees. Patting her head, Ruby looked around and whispered 'There, there…', pulling Weiss back to her feet. Breathing out sharply, Weiss pulled at her shirttail and closed her eyes. "And, to answer your question…I do like it." She answered, turning around. "I haven't seen a made bed in seventeen years." Rubbing her head, Weiss awkwardly smirked. "The color scheme isn't that bad either. In fact, I'd say it goes great with…you." She finished, her smile slowly fading as she looked down.

Putting an arm around Weiss' neck, Ruby laughed lightly. "You should see Yang's room. It's like a lemon and a brown cow had babies and EXPLODED." She enthusiastically stated, making a sweep with her hand and squinting her eyes. At first Weiss was rolling her eyes, but she almost burst into laughter when she heard Yang say something from the other room, knowing that must have been prompted by Ruby. Putting a hand and a smile on her face, Weiss shook her head and got out of Ruby's hold. One thing at in the corner of her room had been overlooked, and Weiss cocked her head to get a better look. It appeared to be a medium-sized television resting on a freezer of some sort.

"You have your own fridge in here?" Weiss asked, tugging on Ruby's sleeve to get her attention and pointing at the freezer. Shaking her head, Ruby walked over and opened it carefully, revealing that it was full of various food products. "Ah…no…this is actually an overflow freezer. The one in the kitchen is usually full already, so the rest goes in here." She explained, tapping the door and shutting it. "Oh, and as for the TV, I guess you already saw the games and stuff. Yang has her own in the living room, but she doesn't really use it very much. When she does…well…let's just say that it doesn't take a lot to light her fuse, and she PURPOSEFULLY plays on the hardest possible difficulty. Don't even get me STARTED on her thing with Dark Souls…" She went on, about to continue when Weiss put a hand on her shoulder.

"I…haven't ever had the chance to play games before." She said quietly, Ruby pursing her lips. "Are you kidding?" "Nope. I just…never have been around them. Unless you count computer games…" Weiss explained, looking down. At that, Ruby clenched her fists and smiled wide. "I can TEACH you then!" Determined, she sat down at the far end of her bed, near the pillow, and opened up a cabinet below the set of shelves. Peering over her, interested, Weiss crossed her arms and sat down next to her, tilting her head. Pulling out a few different titles, Ruby held them up. "So, Weiss…what do you want in a game?" She asked carefully, her eyes barely showing over the edge of the cases she held.

Stuttering, Weiss shrugged. "A-ah…I don't know right now…maybe I would get a better idea if you were playing one. I like watching." She yielded, holding her hands out. Pooching out her lip, Ruby looked at the games. "You sure?" She asked, Weiss ' nod sealing the deal.

For about an hour, give or take, Ruby attempted to show Weiss the ropes and stay focused at the same time, which eventually resulting to her throwing all teaching ideas out the window and simply trying to get to her virtual goal. Luckily, Weiss had a good eye for background objects, so she helped her search areas she cleared. They were only stopped when Yang walked in and knocked on the door. "Yo. Food's out there if you want it." She relayed before nodding and going back into the other room, hands in her pockets. Looking at Weiss, Ruby put the game on pause and shrugged, getting up and walking after her sister.

Glancing back at the screen, Weiss listened to the distant menu tune before slowly following the crowd. She really liked Ruby's house. It was much different than her own, but that was to be expected. Beginning to wonder when Ruby would come to hers, she quickly dashed the thought away. It…was a bad idea. Besides, she didn't really have anything they could occupy their time with at her house. Shoulders slumping, she wondered why she was even here…she was practically just taking up space. Ruby seemed to like her around for whatever reason, but Yang seemed pretty indifferent. She guessed that was to be expected from a jock…that's the head of the female wrestling team for you.

Washing her hands in the kitchen sink after Ruby, she sat at the bar behind it and looked down at a plate with various items. Earlier, she was too busy thinking to notice anything else, but she was now beginning to register the smell filling up the room. It was interesting…she hadn't ever smelt anything quite like that before. She sat up straight, feeling a nudge on her side and looked down to see Ruby's elbow, then up to meet her questioning eyes. Sighing, she guessed she was looking a bit deep in thought. Brushing the elbow away lightly, she focused on the food sitting in front of her and kept her face straight. Pressing her lips together, Ruby breathed out and turned to look at Yang, who seemed to be watching this unfold with a rather amused face, leaning her head on her fist.

Making a face at her, Ruby faced forward and tapped her foot on the inside of the bar. Taking a couple bites of what sat on her plate, Weiss' face lit up. She often had to cook for herself at her house, and…despite that, she was far from a chef. In fact, she really didn't have access to home cooked food that she would enjoy eating on a daily basis, but this was something else. Tilting her head, she looked at Ruby. "Your dad make this?" She asked, pointing at the food with her fork. Responding with a nod, Ruby held her fork in her mouth for a bit before nodding again. "Yep! He's pretty good at it. I guess that's where I got my skill from too. He tells me I'M better, but I don't know about that." Intrigued, Weiss leaned forward and motioned past her. "Is this a family of cooks?" She asked, getting a laugh out of Yang. A LARGE laugh.

"Pffff, no, no. I would probably burn the oven itself if I tried cooking anything. Fire just…doesn't seem to behave the same around me." She answered, brushing hair out of her face. "Well, I'm done. You two just…do what you do." Yang said, walking away and waving her arms. Chuckling lightly, Ruby turned to finish her meal, glancing at Weiss and seeing her getting off her seat and bringing her plate to the sink. "Wow, you too? Geez…and they call ME the vacuum." Ruby joked, looking down at her plate. Shrugging, she followed Weiss and started to dump what was left on her plate, getting stopped by her, a hand on her wrist. "I'll finish it if you want me to. I…don't really like seeing people get rid of food like that." She offered, letting go of Ruby and putting her hands in her pockets. Slowly tilting her head and puffing up her cheeks, Ruby handed the plate to her slowly, nodding. "Suit yourself.~ I'll be back there." She said, pointing her thumb in the general direction of her room and going down the hall.

Letting out a breath, Weiss sat back at the bar and touched her stomach. _I really don't want to seem like a hypocrite, but…I don't usually eat that much. What if I get sick…what if I end up throwing up in front of Ruby? Ughhh…_She thought as she looked down. Picking up the plate and dumping it like Ruby was about to before, she shook her head and made her way back. _Better let the dump rats fight over it and not have it fight me. _She decided, quietly entering Ruby's room and sitting behind her on the bed. Ruby pointed something out in the game as she started it back up, but Weiss didn't pay much attention to it, regrettably.

Peering at the door, she wondered what Yang did in her free time. Did they have a punching bag or something in another room? She undoubtedly had friends of her own, but she never really seemed to notice Weiss, which was understandable. Nobodies aren't usually known, as a rule. But…what caused her to be friends with Blake? An athlete and a bookworm…she supposed the relationship wasn't too impossible. Anime and movies thought it was a good idea to do things like that, anyway. Slowly, Weiss' mind started to wander, as it tended to, and her questions were of a different nature. Just how good was their friendship? Maybe Yang was like her…but did Blake just go along with it, or did she feel the same way? What had they done…or…maybe a better question would be what HAVEN'T they done…

Shaking her head quickly, Weiss looked back at the screen. _Sometimes I scare myself with the things that pop into my head._ She lamented, watching Ruby's character do seemingly trivial things for minor rewards. That's a side quest for you.

After an hour or so, Ruby paused the game and laid back, her arms spread eagle. She simply looked at the ceiling, a blankish look on her face. "So, you like it here, Weiss?" She asked, her head shifting. Nodding, Weiss looked out the window at the dark grey sky, the night approaching quickly. "Yeah…it's definitely a lot different than what I'm used to. This place is so organized, and clean. Even your room is probably messed up by your standards, but by mine it's perfect." Weiss answered, stretching and yawning. Making a slight noise, Ruby sat up and swung her legs off the bed, beckoning for Weiss to come after her. Following without question, she trudged out of the room behind her, the two making their way out to the backyard which was quite sizeable for the neighborhood. The real interesting part was the porch which encompassed a medium-sized pool.

"Look down into the water. There're these uh…lights that come up, and I think it looks pretty cool." Ruby said, crouching by the edge and touching the water with the tips of her fingers. "Sucks that it's cool outside…no good for swimming. Bit late for that, anyway." Standing up and yawning, she walked over and flicked a switch on the wall, the lights beginning to glow beneath the surface. Smiling and tilting her head, Weiss crossed her arms and stood by the pool, blinking a couple times then looking up slightly. Slowly walking back, Ruby leaned over and looked into the water, nodding. Glancing sideways, she saw Weiss looking out and brought her eyes back front and center, putting her hands in her back pockets.

A long time had passed, long enough for the sky to completely darken and allow the glinting stars to be seen. Keeping her eyes fixed on a random point far above, Weiss put her arms by her sides. "Ruby…why do you do all of this for someone like me?" She asked slowly, her face showing nothing. Looking down, Ruby breathed out and put a hand on her hip. "I care about you, Weiss. You're my friend, and I just want to make sure you're happy." She answered, holding her pose. They both stood still as statues in the night, the glow from the slightly disturbed water casting shimmering ribbons across their bodies. Her eyes skipping between stars, Weiss closed them eventually, her head drooping. "But I don't understand why you choose ME…you have plenty of friends, I've seen them, but you don't…treat them like me. You may have even known them longer, and I just came out of nowhere…" She put a hand on her forehead and crouched, looking into the water.

Putting a hand on her shoulder, Ruby also crouched, touching the edge of the pool to steady herself. She looked to her right at Weiss' face, but she was seeing nothing in return. Peering into the water and sitting back, she put an arm on her knees. "Weiss, I just…I just want to see you smiling…I think you deserve it more than anyone else, and it makes ME happy to see you that way." Shuddering slightly, Weiss jumped back to her feet and put a hand on her forehead, looking at the back door. "I-I can't…" She began as she started to make a run for the door but was stopped by Ruby's hand on her free arm.

"Weiss…"

Turning around, Weiss stood still for quite a while. Her shoulders slumped, and her head hung slightly. She was also a quarter of the way into a hunch, her hair covering her eyes but not doing a good job of concealing the few tears that streaked across her face. Keeping her blurred eyes fixed on a point that was far below eye-level, she opened her mouth twice before actually saying anything. "Ruby Rose…I have to tell you something that I've thought for a very long time. I know we haven't known each other for that long, but…I feel like it was long enough…" She began, straightening up discreetly as Ruby slowly let go of her arm. "You've been nothing but good to me before now, and I know you will continue to no matter what, or at least try to…" Taking a deep breath and looking up, Weiss clenched her fists and tilted her head. "I can hardly bear to put this into words, because words can never show what I need you to know, but…essentially…I think I…I…"

_No, no NO! GET IT TOGETHER, WEISS, COME ON! Why now…why me…why her…oh God…_She thought in the fraction of the second it took her to finally swallow and stand up straight. "I love you, Ruby…I want…you to know that everything you've done will always go appreciated. I would lay down my life if it came to that, because you…saved it. I…I love you…" Weiss forced between teeth that gradually changed from violent clacking to calm silence, as did everything else, or so it seemed. Standing completely still, Ruby's mouth slowly opened, her eyes narrowing in curiosity…something Weiss hadn't expected at all. Her shoulders heaving with each breath, Ruby looked side to side and shifted from foot to foot before taking Weiss' arm and leading her to a couple chairs set up outside. Sitting forward, Ruby put a hand on her forehead and made a motion before running both sets of fingers through her hair. "…Nobody's ever really said that to me…" Ruby said quietly, looking back up at the stars and letting her hands once again fall to her sides.

Glancing at Weiss, she smiled lightly. "You…have to rank as the number one weirdest person I've ever met." Tilting her head, she carefully reached out her hand and lifted Weiss' chin, wiping her face with the back of her hand. Turning around to completely face her, she leaned forward and put her arms on her knees, her hands dangling between her legs. "Well…Weiss…ah…" She started, scratching her head. "I-I've never…thought about this kind of thing before, you know?" Standing up slowly, Weiss looked down at her from behind her bangs, standing still for a few moments. Her resolve suddenly hardening, she surprised even herself, almost to the point of being fearful, when she dropped into a half-crouch, pushed Ruby back on the chair…"Weiss?! WhA-hamn…"…and kissed her, grabbing her arms. Pulling away with a quiet smack, she saw Ruby's eye twitching along with the corner of her mouth. Holding up a hand with one finger slightly outstretched, she eventually let her arm fall back. Both breathing deeply and heavily, they were silent for another period of time that was so unbearably long, they thought that the morning would come while they were still sitting out there, carefully considering what to do next.

Breaking the silence, Ruby tried to speak once, but instead of words a small sound escaped her mouth. Breathing out, she tried again. "Th…a…uhhmm…." Ruby began, her face pinkening slightly as the realization set in, a drastic contrast to Weiss' almost impossibly dark blush. "…Weiss…" Closing her eyes, Weiss tilted her head away, letting Ruby fall back on the chair and taking a couple steps away. "I'm sorry, Ruby…oh my God…sorry…" She choked out, curling up her fist and putting it against her forehead, her other arm wrapped around her stomach. "i…oughh…" Her face screwing up, she shot inside and made it to the bathroom just in time to retch up what she had eaten in the past few hours.

Sitting still on that chair, Ruby was at a complete loss. She…was surprised beyond words, and confused even further beyond that. But she knew one thing…no matter what, she couldn't give up her promise. No matter what. So, she managed to drag herself off the chair and to her feet, shambling through the house and to the bathroom, where she found Weiss with her face hanging over the toilet bowl, dry heaving and sobbing at the same time. Narrowing her eyes, she took a deep breath and flicked the flusher, getting a washrag from the cabinet and wetting it in the sink, filling up a small glass with water as well. Stepping towards Weiss, she crouched down and put a hand on her back, rubbing and patting her…which made her fall into an even deeper state. Patiently waiting for her to calm down, Ruby whispered and cooed, trying to make things better with her voice and partially succeeding.

Talking into the toilet, Weiss was still broken up by the occasional sob, coughing and breathing sharply. "I…I…shoud...n't…b-be allowed to t-ta…lk to you, ev-en…I'm…a fr…freak…" She lamented, causing Ruby to shake her head and put a fist over her mouth, closing her eyes tightly. "No, Weiss…no…" She whispered, feeling herself about to tear up. Leaning forward and wrapping her arms around Weiss' back, she put her ear right below her neck, listening to her insides churn and her heart beating irregularly. Hugging her as tight as she could with her weakened state, Ruby held her eyes halfway open and felt a few tears run down her face, dripping off the tip of her nose and soaking into Weiss' shirt. "No…you NEVER think…that way, okay? Never…I…don't deserve YOU, Weiss…you're special…despite being this scared, you still did something that I would never be able to…and I know you would do it again and again if you had…to…" She argued, her mouth twitching. "I will give you my heart since you've given yours to me…I'm yours…Weiss..." At this point, Ruby also fell into a bought of sobs, albeit lighter ones than Weiss', but for a time they both just sat there, crying silently in each other's company.

When she felt that they both had begun to calm down, Ruby unwrapped her arms and slowly picked up the damp cloth again, leaning over and touching Weiss' cheek. Straightening up and putting her hands on the bowl, Weiss closed her eyes and breathed out, lightly coughing. Sliding her hand over and resting it on the back of her neck, Ruby got her to look down and daubed her face with the cloth, giving her the water. Shifting to sit on her shins, Weiss bowed her head and swallowed, making a slight face. Looking up, she sniffled and met Ruby's eyes, holding up her hands and scooting over, putting her chin on her shoulder and grabbing her up into a tight hug. "Ruby, you…Ruby…" Resting her hands on Weiss' lower back, Ruby closed her eyes. Taking a deep breath, she slowly got to her feet, pulling Weiss gently with her. Nodding her head towards the door, Weiss nodded in return and they walked out of the bathroom, through Ruby's door.

Blinking, Weiss realized that there was one thing she had forgotten. "Ah…where am I going to…y'know, sleep…?" She asked, looking down at the floor. Blushing lightly, Ruby looked the opposite direction and scratched the back of her head. "Earlier, I just figured we could both sleep…in…the bed, but ah…" She said carefully, her blush deepening a bit. Breathing out, Weiss stretched and put a hand on the shelves beside Ruby's computer desk. "If you just give me a pillow and a blanket I can easily sleep on the floor." She suggested, shrugging. Turning quickly, Ruby grabbed her forearm. "No, you don't have to do that! Uh...mm…just…well, this is a new thing, so…I trust you." She said, puffing up her cheeks and looking to the side. Smiling lightly, Weiss narrowed her eyes. "But do you trust yourself, Rose petal?" She teased, poking Ruby's side. Letting out a "Hmph", Ruby sat down on the bed. "I COULD change my mind, you know." Nodding and waving her hand, Weiss smirked and breathed out.

"Well…It's probably really late. I guess we should…get to it…" She uneasily nodded towards the bed and felt a blush of her own grow across her face. _I know what to do if…something happens. I mean, I've written it for the past year or so. I don't know if I could initiate it though…WAIT, she's only known for less than an hour, what the hell am I thinking? Ugh…_She thought as she started to take off her shirt, causing Ruby to suddenly turn bright red. "Whatareyoudoing-" She asked in less than a second, her eyes wide. "Well, I'm not going to sleep in these clothes." Weiss answered, narrowing her eyes and continuing. Making a noise, Ruby bit her lip and looked around, slumping. "I'm going to change too. Please don't look…" She whispered, slipping away to her closet. Putting a hand over her eyes, Weiss nodded, unbuttoning her shorts. "Okay, okay." Ruby said, stretching and yawning. Smiling lightly, Weiss grabbed her bag and unzipped it, unfolding a gown and pulling it over her head.

Snickering, Ruby pulled back the blankets and stood back, looking at Weiss who cut her a glare. "Hey, I didn't make fun of your Hello Kitty underwear." She said, realizing her mistake as soon as she said it, pursing her lips. Her face reddening, Ruby breathed out. "I TOLD you not to look." Crawling under the covers, Weiss curled up towards the wall. "Hey, it's not like I wouldn't have seen you eventually." She reasoned, which caused Ruby to get even redder as she slid in beside Weiss and burrowed under the covers.

It didn't take long for Ruby to drift off to sleep, as the night took it out of her. That's not to say that Weiss wasn't tired, because she was, but she couldn't sleep, no matter how long she kept her eyes closed. She couldn't get her mind to stop working, her body to calm down enough to sleep. It seemed like there was a lamp in Ruby's room that she kept on at all times, casting a quiet white light over a bit of the room. Not enough to be annoying, but it was just enough to see by. Rolling over, Weiss carefully pulled back the blankets, looking at Ruby's sleeping face. She sat like that for longer than she would ever admit, just…looking at her. It was the first time they'd been this close. She wondered how heavy a sleeper Ruby was. What could she get away with without Ruby noticing?

Dashing the thoughts away quickly, Weiss looked down and clenched her teeth. She hoped that someday she wouldn't have to worry…she hoped that they would both be able to be completely comfortable around each other. Thoughts and actions are two wholly different worlds, and Weiss knew that they could both be dangerous. Pulling the covers back up over Ruby's head, she got under them herself and snaked her way in between Ruby's arms, closing her eyes and trying to sleep once again.


	3. Chapter 3

**No Place Like Home-Chapter 3-Closer**

Leaning against the side of Ruby's bed, Weiss closed her eyes after what was almost a literal eternity. She realized earlier that she could stare into the lamp without the glare hurting her eyes, so she had amused herself with that for one or two of the hours that passed her by. Having failed to get to sleep, she eventually decided to crawl out of the bed and explore the house as quietly as possible (which was difficult seeing as how she wasn't necessarily the most tactical of individuals), but she soon gave up that idea after taking a couple steps out of Ruby's room and hearing a board squeak underneath her foot. Needless to say, she was back in the room before the sound had completely run its course.

Bored out of her mind, she ended up sitting on the floor and gazing at the light for a time that would have astounded her if she knew the numbers. She put a hand on her face and shook her head at how easily amused she was after looking away, her eyes unseeing anyway due to the colorful splotches across her vision. Turning around and getting on her knees, she put her hands on the edge of the bed and stared at the lump made in the covers where Ruby was curled up. Narrowing her eyes, she carefully got closer until her head was resting on the lump, following it up and down as Ruby breathed. Turning to put her back on the bed, she closed her eyes as she sank back down to a sitting position and ran her hands through her hair. Her eyes aimlessly focusing on nothing, she felt her thoughts wandering. Glancing at her bag and pulling it over, she dug her notebook out, flipping past the pages with words and settling on a random one in the back.

Pulling her legs up, she used them for a makeshift easel, resting the notebook on them as she grabbed a pencil from the pack. Pressing it against her lip, she stared at the page with narrowed eyes until she finally drew the outline of a head, bringing down the neck and extending it into a body. Tilting her head, she sketched out a base for another body along with it, nervously glancing behind her every so often even though the sky was still a drab grey color, not quite dawn yet. Bringing the pencil back and forth for a pattern which would later be hair, she hesitated slightly as she marked Ruby's highlights and her own ponytail, slumping forward and putting her hand on the page, dropping her pencil. Using her whole hand to tear it off, she crumpled it up and put it on the floor, her upper lip resting on the top of the notebook.

Shaking her head, she dropped the notebook and quickly got to her feet, feeling a slight faintness come over her as she grabbed the shelves for support. Her shoulders falling, Weiss leaned over and pulled the gown off, folding it back up and placing it in the bag. Stretching, she rubbed one eye and reached into the bag with her free hand, picking out the shorts and shirt she had on earlier and pulling the shirt over her head. Straightening up again and tilting her head to look at Ruby, she leaned on the shelves and pulled her shorts on, buttoning and zipping them up slowly. She cut her eyes to the side, hearing a noise somewhere that sounded something like a coffeemaker. She was tempted to go check it out, but she knew better…or so she thought. It was how she lived, always on edge. Sometimes she'd have to be very careful in her house, because sometimes that word could be interchanged with prison…or torture chamber. About ninety percent of the time she wished she was at school. At least then the ones calling her names kept their hands to themselves.

Breathing out and putting her back on the shelves, she was slightly glad that Ruby averted her eyes as soon as she took her shirt off. It was something that would be seen eventually anyway, but yesterday was already full of confessions. At least from her. Scratching her arm, she judged that it was starting to get late in the morning due to the sun's position. Padding out of Ruby's room and into the hall again, Weiss put her hands in her pockets and leaned her head forward to look out into the front room. Straightening back up, she didn't see Yang laid out on the couch before she was already in the room, and the sighting startled her enough to warrant a step back.

Groaning drowsily and rolling onto her side, Yang mumbled something in her sleep, too low for Weiss to hear. Blinking and tilting her head, she walked forward and put her hands on the couch, leaning forward to try and hear what she was "saying", but to no avail. Standing up straight, she couldn't help but ask herself…why in the world was Yang wearing male underwear? She had a wife beater and boxer shorts, not really…what Weiss considered average for a girl. Eventually, she decided to let it lie, on the 'to each their own' principle. Of course…she wasn't going to deny that Yang didn't pull off that look. Especially when she was laying at that angle, and her legs were in a bind…

Shaking her head and pulling her hair lightly with one hand, Weiss looked back at the hall and breathed out. _I think there IS something wrong with me…_She thought, looking back at Yang's sleeping form. _Well…it's not like anything's HAPPENING. I guess it doesn't hurt to look at whatever's in front of me._ She decided after a few seconds. Turning away after another glance, she put her hands behind her back and skulked around the couch, examining the TV from a safe distance. She knew with HER luck, she would probably break something. If not now, then surely later. Crouching in front of the cabinet below, she cracked the door and saw the cases of a few games stacked up with the help of the sun's angle. Also making out a gaming system beside them, she didn't take the time to investigate further before she closed the cabinet quietly.

Freezing, she was positive she heard something off. She realized then that she had forgotten about the coffeepot going off, and she guessed it was done now…meaning whoever was making coffee was going to be getting it soon. Standing up straight, she leaned against the wall beside the TV and held her breath as she listened to the coffee being poured directly behind her. Pressing closer, she found herself not just a bit startled or shy, but frightened…something about mornings just didn't sit right with her, always putting her on edge without fail. But no matter how hard she tried, she could hardly stop a behavior that was stomped into her, sometimes literally.

Keeping her position, she heard shuffling footsteps go past the couch. Turning slightly, she saw Ruby's father's back as he made his way down the right of the hall, the opposite direction of Ruby's room. Weiss hadn't been back there yet, but she knew there were two bedrooms, one possibly a guest. Maybe her father was the work-at-home type? Otherwise, it wouldn't make sense for him to be doing things this early in the morning that were as strange as that. Then again…how could SHE talk? Stalking around her gi- her frie…Ruby's house in the morning, and hell, for all she knew it WAS late, she just didn't bother looking at a clock. It's not like she had any right to think anything about Ruby's father ANYWAY, regardless of the circumstance, since this was his house.

Shambling to the middle of the room beside a coffee table, she slumped to her knees and put her face in her hands. All these crises were too much for her to take on a daily basis. She'd already thrown up once due to stress, the last thing she needed was to repeat that again, or worse.

Shifting faintly, Yang winced as a beam of sunlight cut through the large window overlooking the backyard right onto her eyelids. Her vision changing from black to bright orange, she opened her eyes a tad just for them to be assaulted by the ray. Violently turning over, she 'Hmphed' and tried to go back to sleep…with no luck, now. Sighing melodramatically, she turned back and put a hand up to shield her eyes, instantly noticing the hunched Weiss this time. "Buah…" She whispered in surprise, pushing herself further back on the dark leather cushions.

Looking up and blinking, Weiss held her hands in the same place for a few seconds before wiggling her fingers and standing up. "Wai…wait. The…th-the…what are you doing?" Yang hazily asked, hardly even remembering Weiss being there since yesterday in her still half-asleep state. Waving her hands back and forth, Weiss felt her jaw shaking, her teeth beginning to tap against each other. "Ah, n-nothing! I c…an explain it…later." She quietly got out, escaping around the couch and back to Ruby's room, lightly closing the door and leaving a dumbfounded Yang sitting alone.

Leaning on the door, she put a forearm over her eyes and tilted her head back. Today was already starting out bad…for her, at least. If Ruby's dad saw her, he'd think she was a serous creep. Yang was already not the nicest, and Ruby…well, it seemed like the two of them were both caught up in the turmoil together. Weiss took her arm away from her face and looked down, breathing slowly. She almost regretted saying those things…pressing herself on Ruby like that. It just wasn't right to her now, and she was worried that she'd actually managed to push her out of reach with her big, albeit accidental, show last night.

Closing her eyes and breathing out sharply, she tilted her head to the side and felt tears welling up. What if Ruby only agreed because she wanted to make her happy? Or…even worse…what if she did it just to get her to shut up? It wouldn't have been the first time Weiss had been lied to…not NEARLY. In the grand scheme of things, it probably even wouldn't matter if that was the case, but she still couldn't stop feeling now…she didn't know why she had these feelings for her anyway. Nobody knew except for herself until now…she couldn't WAIT for MORE names to be added to the mix of insults she received en mass every day. She felt like a blight on the face of nature already, without being reminded of it…but nobody asked the freak's opinion.

Wiping her face with the heel of her hand, she took in a shaky, quick breath and let it out in an accidental sob. Her mouth hanging open, her eyebrows twitched as she put more of her weight on the door and her shoulders heaved. In her sudden attack of emotion, she hadn't even noticed how things were going in the room, didn't notice Ruby already awake and sitting up, and she didn't notice her silently get out of bed and take a step or two towards her, eyes narrowed.

Not saying a word, Ruby swayed slightly as she got a bit closer, being as covert as possible. As Weiss let out another sob and breathed in quickly, she grabbed her and pulled her close, shoving her head onto her shoulder and looking down at her back.

Freezing and falling silent instantly, Weiss stopped thinking as she grabbed Ruby's arms and tried to push her away, whispering things too low to hear. Eyes wide, she felt fight-or-flight coming on, and she looked to the side to see if she could get anywhere, seeing no avenues of escape. Her jaw shaking uncontrollably, she felt the corners of her mouth droop and her eyes narrow as she started crying harder. She stood there, still, as Ruby ignored all of her objections and simply held her closer at every move. Beginning to shake, Weiss coughed to the side and looked around, her eyes not focusing on anything in particular.

Eventually giving up, she slumped, her arms dropping to her sides. Never faltering or letting her grip loosen, Ruby closed her eyes and shook her head. Weiss sniffled and slowly lifted her hands, hugging Ruby back lightly until the realization fully hit her and she grabbed her shirt tightly, balling it up in her fists and pressing her face into her shoulder. Rubbing her back, Ruby looked at the door with narrowed eyes. "Weiss…it's okay…" She whispered into her ear. Weiss swallowed and moved her hands closer together on Ruby's back, leaning away from her slightly in order to look at her face. She breathed out as Ruby used a hand to dry her cheek, smiling lightly.

Tilting her head and narrowing her eyes, Weiss moved her chin forward slightly. Looking to the side, she blinked and cut her eyes back and forth, opening and closing her mouth faintly. She was close enough to feel Ruby's breath on her lips, feel her heart beating. Pressing her lips closed, she looked back to Ruby's face and ran her tongue over them quickly, closing her eyes and closing the distance slowly as her face softened. Her lips touching Ruby's and sticking a bit due to the difference in moisture, she pulled away after a brief exchange, moving her hand up to the back of Ruby's head. Half-opening her eyes, she shuddered as she let a small smile tease the corner of her mouth.

No words passed between them then, as none were necessary. Weiss…saw something in Ruby's eyes. It wasn't sympathy, and it wasn't empathy…it was more neutral than that. It was evidenced in her slight smile and her eyebrows raised just enough to be noticeable. Weiss thought what she saw was a mirror of herself, almost. At least in this moment. And that alone…that made her happy.

Slowly kissing her again, Weiss took a gentle step forward and Ruby took a step back. Putting one of her hands behind her, Ruby found the bed and steadied herself, breathing through her nose and making a slight noise in the back of her throat as Weiss' advances increased in vitality. Putting her hands on either side of Ruby, Weiss bent down over her, lightly pressing her against the bed. Her legs fidgeting, Ruby breathed out as Weiss pulled back, catching her breath as well for a moment. Blushing lightly, Weiss trembled with narrowed eyes, panting. Left with two options, Ruby tilted her head and put her hands on Weiss' sides.

The feeling was exhilarating to her. She never thought she would be in this situation, never thought she would have to answer this question. It didn't matter what people thought about her…they could think what they want. It was her and Weiss, and that was the only important thing. She had never prepared herself for or against this kind of contact, and now it was almost more than she could handle, but she liked it. The only thing she wondered was just how far too far was…

Leaning down, Weiss softly kissed her lips and slowly worked her way across her mouth and down her jawline to her neck. Sucking on her skin, she made her way down to Ruby's collarbone, tugging on the collar of her shirt. Fidgeting and moving her head side to side, Ruby breathed out, a light noise coming out with it. Blushing darkly at that, she moved her hands to Weiss' back, clenching and unclenching her fists.

Gradually, a sense of dread came over Weiss as her lips touched Ruby's skin again, and she pulled back slowly. Pursing her lips, she moved to the side and got on her back, lying next to Ruby with her hands forced together on her stomach. Her breath returning to normal, Ruby felt her neck and swallowed, looking to the side at her. After a long pause, she looked back up at the ceiling. "You've…wanted to do that for a while, haven't you?" She asked pensively, moving her hand down to her shoulder. Not answering immediately, Weiss breathed out and glanced at the wall, running a hand through her hair. "I…" She began, the words she needed becoming hard to find.

Even though she'd done all of this, she was still afraid of too many things to count. She was worried about doing something wrong, or too soon, or even too late. She was afraid of people finding out, and she was afraid going back home. Feeling isolated wherever she was eventually, it didn't matter where she was, because she'd always have to go back to her cage with no bars. She was her own guard, beating herself silent for her own good. Taking a glance at Ruby, she closed her eyes. She couldn't sneak away this time…she couldn't slink from place to place. But then again, what was she supposed to do? She felt alone in a sea of people, she felt alone by herself, and she felt alone beside the only person she let herself feel anything towards. Even if her kisses were returned, her words were amplified…how could she face her like this?

It felt like any smile she had was a lie even if it wasn't, because she'd had to lie so many times she got used to it. She would NOT bring herself to tears again. It wasn't exactly her fault, but when it started it was up to other people to interpret it. So far, Ruby had been the only person who dried her tears without fail, but she was also the one who most brought them on. Weiss was simply wildly confused, her feelings a maze she couldn't solve. So, what would she do? She asked herself in these fractions of seconds, what would she do now? Would she continue pretending until she had to drag herself away, or would she cry again, and take off her mask? It would help if she could tell where the mask ended and her life began, but the lines were so blurred they were almost one in the same.

Her eyes widening for a moment, Weiss turned her head. That's it. It would be a process…trying to pick out what was right and what was wrong, and putting it all in order. She guessed it would start with telling the truth to the person who she felt deserved it. Rolling onto her side, she tossed aside her trivial inner thoughts for a moment and swung her leg over Ruby, putting her hands on either side and straddling her. "Ruby…I think I've felt this way ever since we met. Ever since you helped me out…" She said surely, wiggling back and forth. Tilting her head, Ruby smiled lightly and looked up at her.

Smiling back, Weiss looked into her eyes and relaxed, letting her body slump slightly after letting out a deep breath. "I hope…this works out." She whispered, her body folding as she rested her head on Ruby's chest. Wrapping her arms around Weiss' back, Ruby looked up at the ceiling, her smile sobering slightly. "To tell you the truth, this was the last thing I expected happening…I guess I just never thought about things like this before. I never thought I could mean so much to someone…" She said slowly, working it through in her mind. She wasn't really a…poetic person. Especially not in areas in which she had no knowledge. The only love she'd ever known was that which she was taught. Yang was her biggest role model when it came to that, be it a good thing or not. To put it simply…Yang was a bit adventurous. Ruby guessed a bit of that crossed over to her as well. She'd never had any relationships except platonic ones, and so this was an experience that called for learning on the fly. Weiss' smile was evidence to her that she may not be as bad as she thought.

Snuggling closer, Weiss moved her head up under Ruby's chin and narrowed her eyes. Of course, NOW she would be ready to sleep. She tried to keep her eyes open but eventually failed, quickly falling asleep to the sound of Ruby's breathing. Lying still for a while, Ruby hoped that Weiss was a heavy sleeper. Digging her hands between Weiss' thighs and shins, she lifted her up with a grunt and slid her to the side, standing up and stretching. Loosely crossing her arms, she looked at Weiss for a moment before pulling the covers up, arranging her under them.

Leaning down and pulling some of the hair back from her face, she kissed her on the cheek, staying close for a few more seconds. "I hope you get some sleep now, Weiss…" She whispered, pecking her again and standing up straight. Walking out of her room, she left the hall to get something to drink. Looking up from the TV, Yang twisted around, putting her arm on the couch. "'Morning, sis." She greeted, narrowing her eyes and tilting her head. Nodding to her with a smile, Ruby bounced around to the fridge as Yang turned back, her thoughts focusing on something other than the screen. She thought she had things worked out, but decided to play it cool. Sauntering over, Ruby sipped on a cup of milk and pretended to watch the TV, her thoughts admittedly elsewhere as well.

She started slightly when Yang tapped her arm, tilting her head and smirking as they made eye contact. "You know…he's going to flip when he sees that." Yang said as obviously as she thought she had to, nodding in the direction of Ruby's father's workspace. Furrowing her eyebrows, Ruby shifted her eyes down and to the side, blinking quickly before looking back at Yang. "What do you mean…?" She wondered, her shoulders drooping slightly when Yang pointed to her own neck and made a duck face. Swallowing, Ruby turned her favorite shade of red and clenched her jaw, staring at the wall above the TV.

Rubbing the back of her neck, Yang breathed in through the corner of her mouth. "You can borrow a scarf or something. Just hope he doesn't ask questions." She suggested, standing up and stretching with a yawn. Scratching her shoulder, she turned back and smirked. "She scared the shit out of me this morning." Yang said as she walked around the couch and into the hall, through the door to her room on the end. Coming back with a red wad of fabric, she dropped it into Ruby's hands and gave her a pat on the back. "Next time, just…make the marks less visible. Especially if you want to be covert about your fling." Yang said quite seriously, nodding towards Ruby's room. She would have valiantly objected in any other circumstance, but…she knew that when Yang was trying to be a sister it was best to let her. Even if she was wild and mean sometimes, Yang only used this tone when she knew what she was talking about.

Looking down, Ruby nodded and tied the scarf around her neck carefully. She had to admit that she was pretty lucky that Yang had found her first…it scared her to think of how she would have explained it to her father.

In the other room, Weiss had fallen sound asleep for the first time in what seemed to her like a while. She let herself go under deeply, and her mind began working clearly, putting together some ideas that would later go on paper, and some that would be forgotten. The most important thing was the fact that she was getting rest, for her mind and body.

_Walking between trees, I looked beside me and saw Pyrrha Nikos also walking along, mirroring my movements. This forest got a bit dense in some areas, but it was little problem for either of us._

_I had invited her…or rather, challenged her…to come here to test her mettle. I knew that there were many creatures of Grimm that took up residence in this area, and that was perfect. I figured it was about time for us both to get some exercise, and she would be the least compromising opponent to go against, at least out of my current choices. Readying Myrtenaster, I tilted my head back and observed the area before me. It seemed like as good a place as any to hunt…by my guess, the most common Grimm here would be Beowolves. I…hoped that there wouldn't be anything bigger lurking around. Simply to be fair. Wouldn't want to have to double the score due to a special kill._

_Locking eyes with my opponent momentarily, we both nodded and turned our backs to each other, moving forward in our respective areas. Before too long, I sensed a presence and put a finger on Myrtenaster's hammer, pulling it back and placing another near the revolving cylinder. Looking side to side, I relaxed just as a Boarbatusk sprang from the foliage and hooked my leg with its tusk, pulling me to the ground. Letting out a sound of extreme displeasure, I kicked upwards with my free foot and swung the other, not-so-majestically getting to my feet and dodging backwards in quick succession. _

_Swishing Myrtenaster, I taunted the beast and sidestepped, throwing up a wide glyph which I intended it to smash into. I judged right, and the Boarbatusk effectively stunned itself, falling over onto its side. Planting my foot on it to hold it in place, I jammed Myrtenaster into its underbelly and breathed out. One down, however many others it takes to go. _

_I could hear Pyrrha firing away on the other side of the combat area, but I wouldn't let it get me down. Holding Myrtenaster at arm's length, I scouted the area and quickly dispatched several other Boarbatusks, this time with more flourish. I was beginning to think that my original supposition was wrong until I came to a clearing, instantly spotting the many pairs of red eyes in the foliage across the way. Circling to the left, I tried to keep as much open space as possible between me and the trees, knowing that this game of chicken could last for quite a while. Luckily, Myrtenaster is good for much more than simply jabbing. Using two fingers to direct the flow of dust, I channeled energy into the black compartment and raised my hand, a glowing black glyph forming below the mass of red eyes and pulsing, sending the hiding Grimm into the air. Rushing forward and bouncing on white glyphs, I used a combination of white and blue glyphs to create a makeshift series of platforms to leap between, averting gravity with some difficulty but still managing it just fine._

_Using a small red glyph under my feet as a high-powered spring, I impaled one Beowolf, its red eyes flickering out as I flung the corpse at another, sending them both crashing towards the earth. Throwing a white glyph right behind me, I pushed off it and nailed the third Grimm, spinning around and kicking a fourth in the side of the head. In that instant, I was left with about three more, all circling a bit more cautiously than before. Glancing at the two Beowolves that were still dazed, I juked one way and went another in order to deal with the Grimm trying to pick itself up, quickly turning and jabbing an assailant when it was done for._

_Once again spinning around, I yanked Myrtenaster from its shadowy sheath and buried it in the neck of another, only two more left. The dazed Beowolf seemed to be glaring at me, gaining its bearings back and circling. Standing at the ready, I dashed forward with my blade imbued with an aura of ice, freezing the standing Grimm with a mere touch, shattering it with the same, but reverse, motion. Spinning on my heel, I caught the last Beowolf as it tried to escape, vaulting over it and bringing Myrtenaster's point down on its bony plated head. The tip left a large gash on the surface of the plate, but the attack was nowhere near fatal. _

_In return, the creature lunged forward upon seeing an opening for both attack and escape. Barreling into my side, it threw me off balance and nearly knocked me off my feet. Only able to bring Myrtenaster's pommel stone uselessly down on its back, I was forced to watch as it escaped. At that point, I had a feeling deep in my gut that told me I would see it again…I simply knew it. _

_Returning the rapier to my side, I walked back through the path of destruction and met back up with Pyrrha, exchanging scrolls to examine the other's progress. I pursed my lips as I saw she gained exactly five more confirmed kills than me. Handing her back her scroll, I returned mine to my pack and rolled my eyes. "Well…maybe you'll beat me next time." She encouraged whole-heartedly. Letting out a breath, I stormed back up the hill towards Beacon. 'Maybe next time', she says…maybe next time. Hmph._


End file.
